The present invention relates to a sealing mechanism for a ground connector, an engine connector or the like wherein undesirable invasion of water and oil from terminals can reliably be prevented. Further, the present invention relates to a method of producing a connector wherein a sealing mechanism of the foregoing type is employed for practicing the method.
FIG. 7 shows by way of sectional view the structure of a conventional ground connector sealing mechanism.
Specifically, the ground connector sealing mechanism is constructed such that a female connector housing 21 includes a joint ground terminal 22, an opposing male connector housing 23 includes a female terminal 25 adapted to be connected to a tab-shaped joint terminal 24, and grease 27 is filled in the male connector housing 23 so as to prevent water from invading in the male connector 26 and the female connector 28.
With this construction, however, the grease 27 is molten by the heat generated by electrical connection between both the terminals 24 and 25, causing the water-proof property of the ground connector sealing mechanism to be degraded. In this case, there arises a malfunction that water invades in both the connectors 26 and 28 through a gap in an embedded portion 30 of a ground terminal 29.
FIG. 8 shows by way of sectional view the structure of another conventional engine connector sealing mechanism.
Specifically, the engine connector sealing mechanism is constructed such that an epoxy resin 54 is filled in the interior of a female connector 53 to be fixedly connected to a connection hole 52 formed through an engine block 51, so as to prevent engine oil from flowing up from the interior of the engine block 51 along a cable 55 extending from the interior of the engine block 51 to the female connector 53.
With the engine connector sealing mechanism constructed as shown in the drawing, the epoxy resin 54 is filled in the range extending from the inside of a rubber plug 56 fitted into the connector end to the base end of a female tab of a crimped cable terminal 57. In addition, an O-ring 58 is fitted into the connection hole 52 of the female connector 53 and a packing 60 is fitted into an opponent male connector 59 so as to prevent oil and water from invading in the female connector 53 and the male connector 59.
With this construction, however, there arise problems that an operation for filling the female connector 53 with the epoxy resin 54 is troublesome and time-consuming, and moreover, operator's hands are readily contaminated with the epoxy resin 54 during the filling operation.